


Behind the Periodicals Section

by joan_waterhouse



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Archaeology, Libraries, Library Sex, M/M, Modern Era
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-05-29
Updated: 2011-05-29
Packaged: 2017-10-19 21:32:11
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,067
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/205427
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/joan_waterhouse/pseuds/joan_waterhouse
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Libraries are not generally a good place to pick up guys. Except when they are.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Behind the Periodicals Section

**Author's Note:**

> Written for marguerite_26's prompt: "Merlin/Gwaine - in the library" at wldcatsprstr-14's [Merlin Frottage Fest](http://wldcatsprstr-14.livejournal.com/86627.html?thread=663139) (LJ).

  


## Behind the Periodicals Section

  


Gwaine hated the library. He'd managed to get through his first year of uni with just about eight hours spent there. Maximum. He was a hands on person, that's what he was. He'd chosen archaeology because he wanted to spend his days outdoors in all kinds of weather and _dig_. Find things. Explore things. Get his hands dirty. Reward himself with beer at the end of the day. A _man's_ life. Not stay indoors, without any natural light to speak of, hidden behind books. But there were these inconvenient things called "exams". You might have heard of them. And so here he was in front of the library, crumpled lecture notes in one hand, bottle of water in the other. He took a deep breath, banged the door open, ignored the furious shushing sounds and found a place at a table behind the periodicals section. Let's do this thing.

First he needed to find books. He flipped through his notes searching for the book numbers he'd looked up three weeks ago in a spout of productivity. He'd no idea how anyone ever found a book with book and shelf numbers being just so much gibberish. (And don't even get him started on journal abbreviations. They are the devil's work!) He was headed to the hopefully enlightening floor plan next to the librarian's office when a tall, dark and, quite frankly, adorable stranger disregarded all traffic rules and crossed from _Conference Proceedings_ to _Monographies_ without so much as looking left or right, entered the periodicals aisle at high-speed and barrelled into Gwaine.

.

Oh, god! How had he even got here. One moment he was busy re-shelving like the good little librarian he was and the next he was pressed up against _British Archaeological Reports (International Series)_ volumes 512 through 789 by what appeared to be the most gorgeous archaeology student in the history of ever. Not that Merlin minded. Not in the least.

"Um. Merlin?" he said in reply to what had hopefully been a question for his name. He couldn't think clearly. Which was no wonder; the only thing between him and the guy with the hair (and the beard, and the smile and not to forget the eyes) was the September issue of _Current Archaeology_. Clearly not much as shields go, but hopefully enough to hide Merlin's growing - you know. What was he? 15? God, damn it!   
"Nice to meet you, Merlin," the guy with the hair said and leaned forward. And just when Merlin thought _Oh, god! This can't be happening! He's going to kiss me! Did I go to sleep and wake up in a parallel universe where stuff like this is really happening?_ the guy reached up above Merlin's head, said, "Excuse me, I just…" and pulled down volume 25 of _Archaeologia Hungarica_.

Merlin was not disappointed. He wasn't. He really, really wasn't.

He so totally was. (He might have been pouting just a little bit.)

But then the guy with the hair said, "I'm Gwaine, by the way", grinned the most ridiculously confident grin Merlin had ever seen and said, "d'you come here often?"

Merlin's hands lost grip on the September issue of _Current Archaeology_ and he was so fucking doomed.

.

Libraries are not generally a good place to pick up guys. Even disregarding the fact that most readers liked to be left alone, people frequenting libraries were, in Gwaine's limited experience with these sort of places, not worth picking up anyway. Oh, but this one. This _Merlin_ , adorably confused and blushing for reasons Gwaine hoped would be in his favour, was definitely worth trying. So Gwaine combined pick-up scenario #3 (supermarkets) with pick-up scenario #7 ("too drunk to come up with something original") and just ran with it.

With astonishingly successful results. The magazine Merlin had been holding in front of himself like some kind of shield descended to the ground and revealed a tight pair of jeans that left little to the imagination. Gwaine couldn't suppress a gasp, which Merlin answered with a muttered stream of, "Oh, god! Oh, god! Please let me wake up! Please, please, please!"

Gwaine leaned forward and whispers into Merlin's ear, "but if you wake up, I won't be able to do this" and pressed a knee between Merlin's thighs.

At that Merlin closed his eyes, pulled him even closer and mumbled something along the lines of, "Gwkmphfmuguh…"

.

He never wanted to wake up ever. Provided this was a dream. Which it surely was, because something like this would never happen in Merlin's life. Hot guys didn't start to grind up against him in the library. The library which was also Merlin's work place. Oh, good god! Please let nobody see him. Please, please, please! He knew he should be responsible and stop it right this moment. Maybe give Gwaine his phone number. Wait until evening. But he couldn't. He really, really couldn't. His bum was pressed against the cold metal shelf, Gwaine's erection (Oh, god!) pushed hard against Merlin's hip. How could he stop? He _never_ wanted this to stop. If you asked Merlin, he would be completely ok if the rest of his life consisted of nothing else. So he gave in. He nuzzled the stubble under Gwaine's chin and canted his hips to get more friction. It was bliss. Gwaine was moaning into Merlin's ear like a porn star, the idiot.

"Shhh, we need to be quiet," the responsible part of Merlin's brain made him say and put his hand over Gwaine's mouth to keep him from attracting attention. But this only seemed to spur Gwaine on more. He gripped Merlin's arse to better be able to push against him, rubbing their cocks against each other with only a little bit of fabric between them.

Merlin was so very close. And judging by the way he whimpered against Merlin's hand, so was Gwaine. It only took them a couple more thrusts before they came in their pants like a pair of teenagers. It was embarrassing and absolutely brilliant. With a shaky sigh Merlin leaned back against the shelf.

And when a happily snickering Gwaine scribbled something on a scrap of paper and pushed it into the pocket of Merlin's increasingly uncomfortable jeans, Merlin came to the conclusion that working in the departmental library to pay off his student loan had been the best decision of his life.

end


End file.
